Posts Tagged ‘health care costs’

I guess we might soon expect Ben Bernanke and his pals at the Federal Reserve to discount the cost of health care from the core rate of inflation. I mean the cost of health care is not truly indicative of what it costs to run a family now, is it?

For those not aware, food and energy costs are not incorporated in determining the core rate of inflation. If the Fed discounted the costs of all goods and services, we might just be able to generate a report that reflects stable prices.

Pardon my sarcastic cynicism, but it is hard to restrain myself upon reading a lead story in this morning’s Wall Street Journal that should be entitled, Health Care Premiums: Bend Over ‘n Brace Yourself. Let’s navigate as the WSJ writes . . . (more…)

Our economy is experiencing disinflation and trending towards deflation, right? Well, it looks like the health insurance industry did not get that memo. If rates do go up, they can’t be more than a few percent, right? Wrong!!

Health insurers are asking for immediate rate hikes of more than 20 percent in Connecticut for some plans, citing rising medical costs and federal health reform laws as reasons.

Both issues — the new federal health care reform and rising medical costs — are significant drivers of the increases, according to filings by insurers with state regulators that were reviewed by The Courant. (more…)